WHO HASN'T YEARNED to feel more of God's presence—to have divine Spirit feel more tangible, immediate, and real? Of course, we realize this may involve more study, more quiet listening to God, more praying than we are doing now. In fact, we look forward to having the chance to do just that. And as soon as we finish that project at work, get the house cleaned, the bills paid, go to the gym, tend to our church commitments, make sure our family's needs are taken care of, and take just a little time for ourselves, we are absolutely going to make time for feeling more of God's presence. A quick check of the calendar shows there is indeed a two-hour opening—three months from now!
Day-to-day life comes at us pretty fast. And it isn't just routine busyness that distracts us. Fear, pain, and the myriad other preoccupations of mortal existence tend to pull us away from feeling spiritually engaged. Haven't we all had times when we've been in a meeting or at lunch with someone but were so mentally preoccupied with something else that we only halfway noticed what the other person was saying? In other words, we were there, but not really present.
What happens when that scenario becomes an apt description of how we're relating to God? When our commitment to God becomes just one more part of our active lives, it isn't surprising that we may struggle to feel close to Him and may need to exercise some attention, care, and focus to restore a sense of being present with God.
